Child, Youth and Family Services
April 29, 2014
Investing in Child Care Helps Strengthen Families and Communities
Provincial Government Allocates $164,500 Under the Child Care Capacity Initiative
During a visit to the Training Wheels Family Resource Program in Springdale, the Honourable Paul Davis, Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services, announced $164,500 under the Child Care Capacity Initiative to help strengthen child care services in Green Bay South, Springdale, Baie Verte and Lourdes.
“Ensuring the quality, sufficiency and affordability of regulated child care services for families with young children remains a top priority for our government. Today, we are pleased to announce $164,500 through our Child Care Capacity Initiative to assist Green Bay South and Springdale with the potential development of new regulated child care services and to support Baie Verte and Lourdes with the expansion of child care operations in those communities.”
- The Honourable Paul Davis, Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services
The Training Wheels Family Resource Program will receive $13,375 to further explore child care opportunities with the aim of creating new regulated child care spaces in the area of Green Bay South, and additional spaces in the community of Springdale.
“I am delighted with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s ongoing support for child care in this region and throughout the province. This funding will help enable community groups and child care providers with the opportunity to offer and expand quality programs and services to children and their families.”
- Kevin Pollard, MHA for Baie Verte-Springdale
As a key component of the 10-year child care strategy, Caring For Our Future: Provincial Strategy for Quality, Sufficient and Affordable Child Care in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Child Care Capacity Initiative provides start-up and operating grants for non-profit community-based organizations to help increase the number of regulated child care spaces.
“I would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Provincial Government for providing funding to potentially develop a new child care centre in the Green Bay South area. Family resource programs play a vital role in supporting healthy families and Training Wheels has been very successful over the past 12 years. Developing a child care centre is the next logical step for Training Wheels as it will be another very important asset to this area and its future.”
- Patricia Pobihushchy-Lawlor, Board Chair, Training Wheels Family Resource Program
Minister Davis also announced funding for two additional child care service providers located in the Western Region:
- Baie Verte Peninsula Family Resource Program – approximately $148,600 to support the expansion of the existing regulated child care centre in Baie Verte to create 24 more school-aged spaces.
- Community Education Network’s Lourdes Preschool Program – approximately $2,400 to operate the 16-space part-time child care service for an extra day per week in Lourdes.
Since the Child Care Capacity Initiative was introduced in 2006, a total of 21 regulated child care centres have been created throughout Newfoundland and Labrador representing 465 additional child care spaces.
QUICK FACTS
- Since 2003, the Provincial Government has increased the number of regulated child care spaces in the province by 70 per cent from 4,609 spaces to 7,823.
- To date, the Provincial Government has invested over $294,700 to assist the Baie Verte Family Resource Program with providing child care services in that community.
- The Community Education Network’s Lourdes Preschool Program has received just over $70,000 from the Provincial Government since 2008.
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Media contacts:
| Michelle Hunt Director of Communications Department of Child, Youth and Family Services 709-729-5148, 725-1593 michellehunt@gov.nl.ca |
Tess Burke Communications Manager Government Member’s Office 709-729-3551 tessburke@gov.nl.ca |
| Lori Miller Co-ordinator Training Wheels Family Resource Program 709-673-3984 trainingwheels_frc@nf.aibn.com |
2014 04 29 3:10 p.m.